Vassilis Komis

Examining teachers’ beliefs about ICT in education: implications of a teacher preparation programme

Abstract The survey presented in this article examines current teachers’ beliefs and attitudes towards information and communication technologies (ICT) in education. A total of 1165 primary and secondary education teachers participated in the study, immediately after following a training programme on basic ICT skills. The authors’ results showed that the majority of the teachers in the sample have positive attitudes towards the training programme they attended, the general role that ICT can play in education and the integration of ICT in the educational process. The authors’ findings also revealed some parameters that interfere negatively, thus making many teachers cautious of or sceptical about ICT integration in educational practice. Multivariate analysis identified three groups of teachers that exhibited a consistent approach: a group of teachers having positive attitudes towards the items of the research, a second group with negative attitudes and a third one with neutral beliefs about ICT in education. Moreover, the authors’ analysis extracted significant information on the profile of the teachers within each of the three groups. They found that personal factors (subject matter, teaching experience and gender) are strongly associated with the beliefs and perceptions teachers hold about ICT in education.

On analysis of collaborative problem solving: an object-oriented approach

Abstract During the last decade an increased interest has been observed on computer-supported collaborative problem solving. This relatively new area of research requires new methodological approaches of interaction and problem solving analysis. Usually analysis of collaborative problem solving situations is done through discourse analysis or interaction analysis, where in the center of attention are the actors involved (students, tutors etc.). An alternative framework, called “Object-oriented Collaboration Analysis Framework (OCAF)” is presented here, according to which the objects of the collaboratively developed solution become the center of attention and are studied as entities that carry their own history. This approach produces a reversed view of the process, according to which the solution is made of structural components that are ‘owned’ by actors who have contributed in various degrees to their development. OCAF provides both qualitative and quantitative measures of collaboration. It is shown that this framework can be applied effectively both in synchronous computer supported collaborative environments of distance groups and in face-to-face collaborative activities.

Reflective practice in initial teacher training: critiques and perspectives

Although reflective practice is now a key competency in many teacher training programs, the theoretical grounding remains problematic and the empirical approaches diverse. With the aim of advancing our understanding of the limitations of reflective practice in initial teacher training, this article draws a critical portrait of reflective practice in terms of theory, practice and methodology based on a review of the literature. We conclude by underscoring the need for a shared terminology and definition for reflective practice in initial training programs; currently, the lack of a clear concept hinders its operationalization in teacher training and its development in empirical research.

Playing with museum exhibits: designing educational games mediated by mobile technology

In this paper, we describe two educational games mediated by mobile technology which were designed for use in the context of a traditional historical museum by young children. Our analysis focuses on the principles of the educational design, on the use of mobile technology and on the envisaged interaction between the exhibits and the children. The main argument of the paper is that mobile technology can support the play with the exhibits of a museum -instead of just viewing them in the more traditional way--and in this context the spectrum of children interaction with the exhibits can be broadened and enriched.

MuseumScrabble: Design of a Mobile Game for Children's Interaction with a Digitally Augmented Cultural Space

Mobile technology has created new possibilities for location-based playful learning experiences. This article describes the MuseumScrabble mobile game, aimed at children visiting a historical museum. The game requires that the players explore the museum and link abstract concepts with physical artefacts using a mobile device. The focus of this article is on the interaction design process and the subsequent observations made during field evaluation of the game. Design principles that guide the development of such a game are presented and concern playfulness, learning, social interaction, physical aspects of the game and flow between physical and digital space. This article explores how these design principles are reflected in the study and how problem-solving strategies and collaboration and competition patterns are developed by children in this multi-player educational game.

The effective combination of hybrid usability methods in evaluating educational applications of ICT: Issues and challenges

This paper focuses on usability evaluation of information and communication technologies applications in education (ICTE applications). Various classes of teaching and learning systems are discussed in terms of technologies used and pedagogical approaches. Their usability is analyzed according to various dimensions and the impact of system usability on the learning effectiveness is studied. We argue that various classes of ICTE applications such as multimedia/hypermedia applications, open educational environments and CSCL environments, based on different theoretical perspectives, require fundamentally different approaches in evaluating their usability. The paper is structured as follows: an overview of different usability evaluation approaches is presented first, followed by a discussion on applicability of these techniques in various categories of teaching and learning computer systems. Typical case studies that engage both usability experts and users themselves (students and teachers) are also discussed. The objective is to describe both the methods, and the way to apply them effectively in order to certify the usability of an ICTE application with respect to its teaching and learning objectives.

High‐school students’ reasoning while constructing plant growth models in a computer‐supported educational environment

This paper highlights specific aspects of high‐school students’ reasoning while coping with a modeling task of plant growth in a computer‐supported educational environment. It is particularly concerned with the modeling levels (‘macro‐phenomenological’ and ‘micro‐conceptual’ level) activated by peers while exploring plant growth and with their ability to shift between or within these levels. The focus is on the types of reasoning developed in the modeling process, as well as on the reasoning coherence around the central concept of plant growth. The findings of the study show that a significant proportion of the 18 participating dyads perform modeling on both levels, while their ability to shift between them as well as between the various elements of the ‘micro‐conceptual’ level is rather constrained. Furthermore, the reasoning types identified in peers’ modeling process are ‘convergent’, ‘serial’, ‘linked’ and ‘convergent attached’, with the first type being the most frequent. Finally, a significant part of the participating dyads display a satisfactory degree of reasoning ‘coherence’, performing their task committed to the main objective of exploring plant growth. Teaching implications of the findings are also discussed.

Massively Multi-user Online Games: The Emergence of Effective Collaborative Activities for Learning

The features and potential of MMOGs to constitute environments for collaborative problem solving activities for learning are the main focus of this paper. Principles from the area of CSCL, problem-solving, cognition and learning can be applied to the design of an educational MMOG so as for effective interactions and collaboration among the players to be fostered. We attempt to propose a framework for the investigation and design of effective collaborative problem solving tasks within MMOGs.

Real-time collaborative problem solving: a study on alternative coordination mechanisms

It is believed that computer-supported collaboration at a distance can stimulate learning. An innovative environment that permits real-time collaborative problem solving is described. In particular we study the effect of two alternative coordination mechanisms on the problem solving activity of pairs of students engaged in concept map building. The first mechanism imposes locking of the shared activity board for one student at a time, while the second mechanism allows access of all group members to the shared activity board in a contemporary way. The reported findings are of interest to researchers and practitioners who are involved in the design and study of real-time collaborative learning environments.

A Study on Heterogeneity During Realtime Collaborative Problem Solving

This paper discusses the effect of learning material heterogeneity on real-time computer-supported collaborative problem solving. A study has been contacted in the frame of an authentic educational activity in a Greek secondary school. The students involved were provided with sets of primitive resources of varying degrees of heterogeneity to be used during collaborative modelling activities. Analysis of students peer interaction and produced solutions revealed that, contrary to our expectations, the group with heterogeneous resources produced solutions of similar quality to that of the reference group that possessed homogeneous learning material, while they were more active, exchanged more messages, were involved in deeper discussions and overall collaborated in great extend. The reported findings can have implications in the design of education scenarios involving distance real-time collaboration.